It’s very easy to pick out other people’s flaws and faults, but are you able to criticize yourself, or are you always focused on what other people are doing wrong? 

Pointing out our own flaws is much more difficult than looking into each other’s flaws. But it’s something we should do often. There’s this thing called “self-awareness” and it’s defined as “conscious knowledge of one’s own character, feelings, motives, and desires.” 

Knowing your own self can be very helpful in many ways, but especially in teams and leadership positions. 

Self-awareness is crucial in teams. It allows members to realize what they bring to the table and maybe what they’re missing. By cultivating all of the positive characteristics in a team and recognizing the downfalls, teams can really work to come together. When teams come together like this, the strength of trust in one another grows 

Self-awareness in leaders is important because those leaders are more trustworthy and understanding of the emotions and other aspects going on within a team and themselves. One characteristic of a self-aware leader that stood out to me is the ability to be humble. Sometimes I think humility can get a bad reputation, especially in today’s world where you are ‘perfect just the way you are’ and where (some, not all) young people think they are far superior to others. That kind of thinking leaves no room for self-improvement or awareness. The characteristic of humility is a great opportunity for people to really dig deep into who they truly are as a person and realize that some area of their life needs improvement. 

Thanks for reading, 

-Abby Williams

Sources: 

https://trainingindustry.com/articles/leadership/the-importance-of-self-awareness-in-leadership/ 

https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/